In the technical sector of maritime navigational markers, the use of the markers or illuminated signals at the entrance to ports is regulated. Normally the left edge of the port entrance is marked with a red light or lamp whilst the right edge is marked with a green light; in this way the navigator, on coming close to the port can make out one or both lights from a certain distance, and can steer the correct course for the vessel having an idea of the whereabouts of said mouth of the port entrance (to the right of the red light and to the left of the green light).
The rules that regulate this signalling code or signs were to a large degree set up at the end of the nineteenth century. Even though said code is still intrinsically valid these days, the circumstances of light pollution has drastically changed since then, especially in the ports of large cities in which there is a proliferation of leisure centres or places for night time entertainment, together with the signalling or lighting lights of the city, making the discrimination of the port entry lights difficult against the rest of the illuminated signs. If some adverse weather conditions are added to this light pollution (such as fog, rain, waves, etc.), the making out of the markers at the port entrance is even more complicated.
Even though the current navigation and steering devices allow the course of a vessel to be steered with great precision, many times without the need of the navigator for direct visibility, same prefer to have visual contact with possible obstacles and, in general, with the route to be followed by the vessel or with possible visual references for said route in the cases of low visibility. In addition, the electronic equipment that are concerned with making the navigation easier can fail or breakdown, especially in said extremely adverse weather conditions.
Because of all of this, the present invention has the aim to provide a support marker for the regulatory illuminated markers at the entrance to ports for the purpose of making their discrimination easier by navigators even in conditions of poor visibility. Differing forms of signalling lights are known for the mouth of port entrances even though in general the majority of these take the form of differing types of lamps. Nothing is known about any type of illuminated support signals, which, without needing a change in the current maritime regulations, helps the locating of the mouth of the port entrance with greater precision from long distances and/or in conditions of poor visibility.